This Letter of Commendation, dated 21 September 1970, praises Forward Air Controllers of the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron for a harrowing three-day rescue operation under intense enemy fire and severe weather -- circumstances consistent with the classified MACV-SOG Operation Tailwind incursion into Laos. Documents such as this offer rare, contemporaneous evidence of the extraordinary risks taken by Air Force aircrew supporting special operations teams in hostile territory. Project: 219126